The Halfbloods Unite
by Elayora
Summary: The trouble is far from over, even with the Titans gone. As campers begin to fall to a mysterious sickness, it's up to the rest to see that they make it home.
1. The First to Fall

Percy

When I woke up, my cabin was empty, which suited me fine. The sun was shining through the window, and the birds were singing as they perched on the roof of the Demeter cabin. Nico was tapping on the window of the Apollo cabin as Connor Stoll sang and played the Lyre under Katie Gardner's window.

_Oops,_ I thought as an apple went sailing past his head. He dropped the Lyre and ran for it. Nice.

Nico stopped pounding the window and ran as a violin sailed past the head of a passerby. Annabeth and Thalia snickered as they watched all the campers run around playing pranks on each other. _Right. It's April Fools. Shucks, _I thought. So much for timing my appearance. The Aphrodite cabin was drawing on the windows of the Hermes cabin with hot pink lipstick and bright red nail polish. One of them blew on his hand, and a shower of pink non removable confetti flies all over the place.

I crept toward the mess hall, cursing as I stepped on a metal plate, and the smell of fart arrows filled the air. There was no end to the pranks people could pull. I knew for a fact that the tricks could be pretty awful.

Suddenly a shout rang out from the center of the clearing. I turned just in time to see a dark figure slip to the ground. It was a camper, that's for sure, but which one? Then the shape rolled over, and I got a clear look at its face.

"Nico!"

The cry left my mouth as I ran to the fallen boy. His face was twisted in pain, and he moaned faintly as I picked him up. He cowered in my arms as I carried him toward the Hades cabin, a fearful look on his face.

"Bianca," He whispered. "Bianca!"

His voice had risen to a shriek as he stared up at me. He sort of flopped and went mute for a while, then he slept. I set him on his bunk and carefully went out.


	2. Bianca Returns

Nico

My head spun as Percy lifted me off the ground. I felt like I was going to be sick. I also saw my sister, Bianca, looking down at me in a sort of confused way. Or maybe I was the confused one, because she looked alive.

"Nico!" She began to run after Percy, holding my hand.

"Bianca," I murmured. "Bianca!"

She faded slightly as we went into my cabin, but I knew she was still there. My head hurt, and my eyes hurt, and my arms hurt. I cried out, but Percy was too busy trying to put me down without hitting my head, and he did not notice. Bianca did though. She melted away, and came back with Will Solace and Michael Yew.

The healers looked me over, and asked Percy if there was any chance of me being bitten by a snake. Percy said no, and they asked about what I liked to do during the day. I said that I spent time with my father, decorating a Christmas tree for my stepmother. They asked me if I had done anything stupid, and I said that I had visited the Fields of Punishment.

Finding nothing wrong, they left.

Oh, in case I forgot to mention this before, we all felt like we had done such a great job defending Olympus that some of the dead should rise. We asked for Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, Charlie Beckendorf, and Castor.

So we were all one happy family again, and Percy was fretting over losing the privilege of being the only one in the Poseidon cabin. The Horror.

I really hoped I would be better soon.


	3. And So, Life Continues, Almost

Percy

Though I wished I could stay with Nico, I had to train. I threw javelins, but that only helped me to injure the other campers. I raced chariots, but that only made the Apollo cabin mad. I read "myths," but that only gave me a headache, and put me in a bad mood. By the time we were called for dinner, I was ready to burst.

"Hey," Annabeth called, skipping up to me. She read my mood in an instant, and steered me to my table. She bounced off to join the Athena cabin, already giggling about something one of her siblings had said.

At the Ares table though, it was quiet. Then someone screamed. A girls voice cried out in pain, or terror, or both.

We all raced to see what was wrong, and found Clarisse lying on the floor. If not for the look on her face, she would have been pretty, nothing like the girl I had seen in my first summer at camp. Her hair was brushed back from her eyes, and there was a faint hint of make-up on her eyes and lips. Nothing too serious, but enough to show that she was friends with an Aphrodite girl.

She cowered on the floor, screaming when Chris Rodriguez stretched out his hand.

"Clara," he said, his voice soothing. I'm gonna take care of you now. Just like you did for me. Now come on girlie. Come on."


	4. The Way the World Spins

Connor

I could not believe it. Clarisse? Sure she was a little mean, but she was also best friends with Silena, and when Silena died, she was hit the hardest.

I didn't even dream of pick pocketing her after that. But Silena was back now, and we thought that Clarisse's heart was healed. Except it could never truly heal after watching Silena run to her death, and reveal that she was a spy for the Titan army. I mean, come on! It can't be easy to watch that happen. What if it was your best friend?

Anyway, Travis and I were not expecting Clarisse to collapse in the way she did, but that's the way the world spins. Everyone dies, and I'm not saying Clarisse died or anything, but things happen, sometimes for the worst. But it's just life, and you have to accept it the way it is.

So enough about that. Travis and I are sons of Hermes, and when a good thieving opportunity comes about, we are always at the weak point in the plot, ready to reach in and grab something. That's what we were doing when we were supposed to be eating dinner. We attended roll call, so no one would suspect, and when every one else was scraping offerings, we cut the line, burned our food, and ran for it. We first checked the Aphrodite cabin, taking all their valuables, and moved on to the Demeter cabin, planting huge rubber snakes in the gardens and on the roof. By the time dinner was over, we had pretty much ruined the camp.

Then the screaming started.

First we stayed put, waiting to see what would happen. Then Travis said,

"Oh my gods, that''s Clarisse!"

We dropped everything and ran.


	5. In honor of Clarisse, a Swim!

Annabeth

Okay. I'd like to say that when Clarisse started screaming, I stayed completely calm. The truth? I think that I might have fainted a little because I wound up in the arms of one of my siblings, Edward*. As soon as I woke up, he dumped me on the stone tiles and rushed to the point of action. I stood and followed him, coming to a halt right behind Percy. I considered wrapping my arms around him like I usually would, but he was not facing me, and there were about a hundred other people around us. I settled for standing so close that the Aphrodite girls sighed, obviously paying more attention to the couples than the action.

When there was nothing more to see, I dragged Percy into a corner and studied his face. It looked tired, like it did when he had homework to do, and didn't want to do it. Almost phony.

"Oh Annabeth," he said, and leaned down to kiss me.

And then the campers dumped us in the canoe lake... again.

This time, I went up before Percy, giggling and blushing. Connor and Travis dumped liquid soap on our heads, singing about bath time.

I don't know which one of us was smiling wider.

***Not named after Edward Cullen. Named after Edward Tudor.**


	6. We Need Help

Percy

So, after Annabeth and I had gone back to our cabins, Krissi Norris from the Aphrodite cabin came up to me. She smiled sweetly and asked if it was true, what she'd heard about the lake and us being thrown in. I told her it was, and if she did not go away, RIGHT NOW, The same might happen to her. She scuttled off, squealing something about wearing waterproof make-up. I snorted. Stupid Aphrodite girls.

I went to visit Nico in his cabin, and saw him sitting up playing Mythomagic. He had replenished his stock of cards, and he had all his figurines laid out in front of him. His eyes looked clearer than they had been the day we found him on the floor, and he was no longer screaming. At least until he saw me.

"Bianca! You killed her!" He pointed one finger in my general direction and cowered in fear. "Don't touch me!"

"Whoa! Hold it," I said. "Bianca sacrificed herself for the good of the quest. She would never have left you without reason."

"Oh." Nico smiled sweetly at me, his expression sort of like an angel. He gestured for me to sit down, but I backed out of the room.

_Whoa,_ i thought. _We need help._


End file.
